Suturing device



Sept. 13, 1932. B THONQPSON 1,876,792

SUTURING DEVICE Filed June so, 1930 vis 'an auxiliarypair of Patented Sept. 13, 1932 Y' *Basin THOMPSON,

or TUCSON, ARIZONA i fr -sUfrURING Annvrcn 'Y y applicati@ mea :une lso,

This invention. relates'tov a suturingdevice vand concerns a construction which has been primarily designed for use by surgeons and the medical profession -in general. l

."An object of ythe' invention is to provide an improved suturing device consisting of a main or primary pairof. forceps to which forceps is hingedly conimprov'ed construction a necte'd. Byv the s l Y generally vemployed curved needle, such asis for this purpose, c an be penetrat j by themain or primary forceps fand after having beenforced into'` and out of the flesh the auxiliary pair of forceps may be swung near the projecting end of theneedle and caused to `grasp-it, pulling the needle through. The arrangement is such that the axis of 'rotation is equi-distant from the jaws of the forceps and thedistance is approxi'- mately equal to the radius ofcurvatu e of 'the needle so 4that the auxiliary'forceps on being'swung will swing into proper position adjacent the projecting end of the needle.

lOther objects of theinvention are to provide an improved suturing devicewhich is of V relatively simple, durable construction, and which may be easily manipulated, only o ne hand being required for the manipulation of the entire construction.

VWith the foregoingand other. objects in view, which will be made manifest in the followingv detailed description, and specifically pointed out in the appendedclaims, reference i.. is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment .of thev invention,

wherein: j

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the im proved vsuturing device illustrating the for- D oeps in open position. s

Fig. 2 isa view vin yend elevation takenin .the directionof the arrow2 uponFig. 1. Fig; Sis a view similar to Figi 1 illustrating'the'main pair -of forceps as grasping a needle. v

Fig-4 is a'view inend elevation taken in the direction of the arrowfiV .upon-Fig. 3.

Fig. '5 is asectional view taken upon the line 5-5 uponl Fig.v 3. s f

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. illustratlforced or caused to- V'projection' 19, on

to the longitudinal central axes i930." seria; No.464Qs74.

ving the manner in which'the device is manipulated.. V

Referring vto the accompanying" drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate tsimilar parts throughout, the v improved suturing device comprises a main pair of forcepshaving jawslO and 11 pivoted as at 12 andy having relatively longhandlesl and 14.

These handlesfare urged into separated posi- Y tion by meansofa leaf spring 15.' VThe upper handle 13 at its rear end .'s provided with a projection 16, one side of which is curved as 'a't17 and the other side of which is provided ,with'ratchet teeth 148.'.l Thelower handleli is :provided with a single tooth119 adapted to vbe engaged by the ratchet teeth 18. However,

if the handles 1 3 and 14Cv are flexed suinciently to force all of the ratchet teeth18 past the subsequently handles the curved surface 17 will engage the tooth 19, allowing the forcepsto open. e purpose of the ratchet teeth 18 is merely to temporarily lock or hold the main or primary forcepsA in needle grasping position.

VThe 'upper handle 13 is pair of knuckles 20. Anf auxiliarypair of forceps having jaws 21 and 22 pivoted at23 has relatively short handles` or arms 24, and 25. The arm 25 is likewise. provided with a pair of knuckles 26 and a pintle 27 extends 'through the knuckles, serving to hingedly connect the auxiliary forceps to the primary forceps. The pintle 27, constituting the axis provided with a releasing the of rotation of the auxiliary forceps with resp'ect to the main forceps, is disposed centrally between jaws 10.and 22 and Vis parallel through these jaws. In this manner the auxiliary forceps lwhen in the position :shown in Figures 1, 3 and Li','has jaw 22 in spaced parallel relation vto jaw 10. The upper handle 24 of the auxiliary forceps is providedjwith a channel shaped member 28 adapted to receive the thumb of the manipulator. Forwardly of this channel member there is formed a slot-in which' two angular members 29v and 30 are pivoted as upon a pivotpin 31.` The upper portions of these angular members extend forwardly from the thumb receiving members ,2S-and Vare so arranged as to be capable of being depressed by the thumb when in the thumb receiving member. The depending portions of the angular members are provided "with ratchet teeth 32, the ratchet teeth on one member being slightly higher than the ratchet teeth on the other member, as clearly shown in Figure 5. A tooth 33 is formed on handle 25 adapted to be'engaged by the depending portions of the angular members 29 and 30. Leaf spring 34 urges the Yauxiliary forceps into open position and leaf spring 35" urges the angular members 29 and 30 into a position wherein they will engage-tooth 33.

The operation and advantages of the improved suturing device are as follows. The Vcurved needle N has its end positioned betweenjaws 10 and 11 of the main forceps. `The main forceps are then closed and locked in grasping position byvratchet teeth. 18 engaging tooth 19. In this position the curved v,needle can be forced `or caused to penetrate the flesh in making a stitch. By virtue of its curvature itmay be caused to enter'the flesh and then protrude throughthe skin at an adjacent point. During this penetration of the needle the main forceps are held with the upper handle 13 resting acrossy the palm of the hand and the fingers encircling handle 14. The thumb of the operator rests in the thumb receiving member 28. When the pointed end of the needle is forced through, the auxiliary forceps are then swung laterally by the thumb, as shown in Figure 6, and by virtue of thefact that the distance between pintle `27 and jaw 22 is equal to the radius of curvature of the needle, jaw 22will swing against the outer side of the .pointed end of the needle. The operator then presses the thumb receiving member 28 to close the auxiliary forceps on the needle. A mere downward `movement not only closes the auxiliary forceps but causes the auxiliary forceps to be locked in needle grasping position by virtue of the engagement of one of the sets of ratchet teeth with tooth 33. lVlien the needle has thus been grasped ceps,rthe handles 13 and 14 may be forced closer together to produce a disengagement between ratchet teeth .18 and tooth 19, thus opening` the primary forceps. The needle can then be pulled through by the auxiliary forceps, thus completing thestitch. During this pulling ,through of the needle the primary forceps maybe held stationary,` acting somewhat as a guide .or base on which the auxiliary forceps pivot, thus drawing through theneedle along its own line, that is without Working the needle laterally in the needle hole formed thereby.

From the above described construction it Awill be readily appreciated that a novel, simple and advantageous suturing` device'is lprovided which can be easily manipulated by one hand. -The improved device permits stitches to be easily Vand quickly taken in 1 by the auxiliary forvery advantageous manner and while the device has been primarily designed for use by surgeons and the medical profession in general, it Will be readily appreciated that its uses are not necessarily restricted thereto.V

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

claim:

Y l. Al suturing device comprising a pair of forceps, and a second pair of forceps hingedly connected thereto for rotation about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis through one of the jaws of the lirst pair of forceps.

2. A suturing device comprising two pair of forceps, one jaw of each pair of forceps being hingedly connected together for rotation about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axes through the mentionedjaws,l saidv axis being equi-distant from said jaws of the forceps. j Y K 3. A suturing device comprising ltwo pair of forceps, one jaw of each pair of forceps being 'hingedly connected together for rotationabout an axis parallel to the longitudinal Vaxes through the mentioned jaws, said axis being equi-distant from said jaws of the forceps, each distance being equal to the radius of curvature of a curved needle.y Y i 4. A suturing device comprising needle holding means for holding a curved needle, and an auxiliary pair of forceps movably connected theretov adapted to be caused to -grasp the needle while held by the needle holding means, said auxiliary forceps having -means for holding its jaws in needle engaging position. I'

A suturing device comprising a Vmain Vpair of forceps, an auxiliary pair of forceps, one jaw of the main pair being hingedly connected to one jaw of the auxiliary pair so that the jaws may assume spaced parallel positions equidistant from the axis of rotation.

6. A suturing device comprising a main pair of forceps, an auxiliary pair of forceps, one jaw of the main pair being hingedly connected to one jaw of the auxiliary pair so that the jawsmay assume spaced parallel positions equidistant from the axes of rotation, and means for fastening the jaws ,of each pair of forceps in needle engaging position.

A suturing device comprising a main pair of forceps having relatively Vlong handles, an auxiliary pair of forceps having relatively-short handles, means hingedly Vconnecting one handle of the auxiliary forceps to one handle of the main forceps, the other handle of the auxiliary forceps being provided with a thumb receiving member, ratchet means pivotally connected 'to said other handle adapted toengage'upon the hinged handle, spring means urging the aux- .lllary forceps into open position, and spring means urging the ratchet means` into engaging position.

8. A snturing device comprising a primary pair of forceps having a transversely extend-r ing pivot, an auxiliary pair of forceps having a transversely extending pivot, and means hingedly connecting one the other, the axis of the hinge extending lonitudinally and being arranged between the orceps.

9. A suturing devicecomprising two pair of forceps, and means hingedly connecting one pair of forceps to the other, the axis of the hinge extending longitudinally and being arranged between the forceps.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BASIL THOMPSON.

pair of forceps tov 

